1. family and parenting

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 20, 2015
Media Contacts:
Amy Mannarino, 202-783-7373
amannarino@nmwa.org
Stacy Meteer, 202-783-7377
smeteer@nmwa.org
National Museum of Women in the Arts to Participate in Blue Star Museums
National Museum of Women in the Arts to offer free admission to military personnel and their families
from Memorial Day to Labor Day 2015
WASHINGTON—The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) announced the launch of Blue
Star Museums, a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the
Department of Defense and more than 2,000 museums across America to offer free admission to the
nation’s active duty military personnel including National
Guard and Reserve and their families from Memorial Day
through Labor Day 2015. Leadership support has been
provided by MetLife Foundation through Blue Star Families.
The program provides families an opportunity to enjoy the
nation’s cultural heritage and learn more about their new
communities after a military move. The complete list of
participating museums is available at arts.gov/national/bluestar-museums.
“The military is a key part of the social fabric of our
city, and as a Blue Star Museum located in our nation’s capital,
and we are grateful for their service,” said NMWA Director
Susan Fisher Sterling. “We are proud to offer military women and men, and their families, free admission
to our exhibitions and education programs.”
“Parents of young children tell us that they go together to museums to learn new things and have
family time together,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “Blue Star Museums helps them do both, by
helping military families learn about the cultural resources in their communities, and offering a fun, highquality experience that’s budget friendly as well as family friendly. We’re proud to help connect
museums to military communities nationwide.”
“Blue Star Museums has grown into a nationally recognized program that service members and
their families look forward to each year,” said Blue Star Families Chief Executive Officer Kathy RothDouquet. “It helps bring our local military and civilian communities together, and offers families fun and
enriching activities in their home towns. We are thrilled with the continued growth of the program and the
unparalleled opportunities it offers.”
This year, more than 2,000 (and counting) museums in all 50 states, the District of Columbia,
Puerto Rico and American Samoa are taking part in the initiative. Museums are welcome to join Blue Star
Museums throughout the summer. The effort to recruit museums has involved partnerships with the
American Alliance of Museums, the Association of Art Museum Directors, the Association of Children’s
Museums, the American Association of State and Local History and the Association of ScienceTechnology Centers. This year’s Blue Star Museums represent not just fine arts museums, but also
science museums, history museums, nature centers and dozens of children’s museums. Among this year’s
new participants are the Museum of Contemporary Art in Jacksonville, Florida, the Duluth Children’s
Museum in Minnesota, The Space Station Museum in Novato, California, and The Lyon Arboretum at the
University of Hawai'i at Mānoa.
About Blue Star Museums
Blue Star Museums is a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families,
the Department of Defense, and more than 2,000 museums across America. The program runs from
Memorial Day, May 25, 2015 through Labor Day, September 7, 2015.
The free admission program is available to any bearer of a Geneva Convention common access card
(CAC), a DD Form 1173 ID card (dependent ID), or a DD Form 1173-1 ID card, which includes active
duty U.S. military—Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, as well as members of the National
Guard and Reserve, U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Corps—and
up to five family members. Some special or limited-time museum exhibits may not be included in this
free admission program. For questions on particular exhibits or museums, please contact the museum
directly. To find participating museums and plan your trip, visit arts.gov/bluestarmuseums.
All summer long, Blue Star Museums will share stories through social media. Follow Blue Star Museums
on Twitter @NEAarts and @BlueStarFamily, #bluestarmuseums, on Facebook, and read the NEA Art
Works blog for weekly stories on participating museums and exhibits.
Museums that wish to participate in Blue Star Museums may contact bluestarmuseums@arts.gov, or
Wendy Clark at 202-682-5451.
This is the latest NEA program to bring quality arts programs to the military, veterans, and their families.
Other NEA programs for the military have included the NEA/Walter Reed Healing Arts Partnership;
Great American Voices Military Base Tour; and Shakespeare in American Communities Military Base
Tour.
About National Museum of Women in the Arts
Founded in 1981 and opened in 1987, NMWA is the only museum solely dedicated to celebrating the
achievements of women in the visual, performing and literary arts. The museum’s collection features
4,700 works from the 16th century to the present created by more than 1,000 artists, including Mary
Cassatt, Frida Kahlo, Alma Thomas, Lee Krasner, Louise Bourgeois, Chakaia Booker and Nan Goldin,
along with special collections of 18th-century silver tableware and botanical prints. NMWA is located at
1250 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C., in a landmark building near the White House. It is open
Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. and Sunday, noon–5 p.m. For information, call 202-783-5000 or visit
nmwa.org. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for visitors 65 and over and students, and free for NMWA
Members and youths 18 and under. Free Community Days are on the first Sunday of the month. For more
information about NMWA, visit nmwa.org, Broad Strokes Blog, Facebook or Twitter.
About Blue Star Families
Blue Star Families (BSF) is a national, nonprofit network by and for military families from all ranks and
services, including active duty, National Guard and reserves. As the largest and fastest growing military
family engagement organization in the country, Blue Star Families forges extraordinary partnerships
resulting in 1.5 million military family members served annually through programs and resources with 50
chapters at home and overseas. BSF has also activated more than 26 million hours of community service
to build leaders within and strengthen the military community, and connected Americans with their
military. To learn more about Blue Star Families' opportunities for service members, military families,
and civilians, visit www.bluestarfam.org.
About the National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts was established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of
the federal government. To date, the NEA has awarded more than $5 billion to strengthen the creative
capacity of our communities by providing all Americans with diverse opportunities for arts participation.
The NEA extends its work through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal
agencies, and the philanthropic sector. To join the discussion on how art works, visit the NEA at arts.gov.
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Image credit:
Photo by Dakota Fine